Most of us have found ourselves in the blues, feeling down, and having to fight discouragement or depression at some point in our lives. The trigger can be anything from life’s circumstances and sicknesses to people’s remarks or actions. These feelings are normal because we are human, and are created to have emotions. Reasons for depression can be clinical, biological, or spiritual.
1 Samuel 30:3-4 (NKJV) So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
David is known for being the fearless warrior who killed the lion and the bear as a shepherd boy, and the mighty conqueror of Goliath. Nonetheless, through this passage of Scripture, we discover how distressed David felt when he came back from battle to find that the homes of him and his men had been destroyed and their spouses and children taken captive. Together, they lifted up their voices and wept. People in leadership positions or public figures often find it difficult to reveal their vulnerable sides, but the truth is they will feel weak and discouraged too, and it is normal for us to release our emotions through weeping and wailing because that is part of our emotional makeup. In fact, it is a good relief valve that God has designed for us as humans.
1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV) Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
When David’s men blamed him for what happened and wanted to stone him, David strengthened himself in the Lord. In her book “Up: Writing A New Chapter of Joy and Laughter”, Beth Jones wrote: “The truth is that if we are going to be happy and joyful, we are going to have to start by encouraging ourselves in the Lord. To overcome feelings of depression and discouragement, we have to accept the fact that we are responsible for our happiness.…. It’s up to us! We must take responsibility for seeking the Lord and choosing His will.”
While it would be good to have someone to journey with us through life’s losses, because God uses people to encourage us, it is important that we find comfort and solace in the presence of God, because God wants us to be dependent upon Him.
Even though we may feel down, we need not stay down. By repositioning our lives based on the Bible, we can begin to move up because God is the lifter of our heads. He has taken us out of the miry clay and placed us on the rock of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Series: UP! CG Campaign 2023 (Part 1)
我们对自己的幸福负责
人生难免在生命的某个时刻陷入忧郁消沉，挣扎着不陷入气馁或抑郁。触发因素可以是生活环境、疾病、人们的评论或举动。这些感觉都是正常的，因为我们是人，生来有情感。抑郁症的原因可以是临床的、生理的，或精神的。
撒母耳记上30:3-4 大卫和跟随他的人到了那城，不料，城已烧毁，他们的妻子儿女都被掳去了。大卫和跟随他的人就放声大哭，直哭得没有气力。
大卫以无畏的战士而闻名，他在还作牧童的时候就曾杀死过狮子和熊，也是歌利亚的强大征服者。然而，通过这段经文，我们看到大卫从战场上回来，发现他和他的手下的家园被毁，配偶和孩子被俘虏时，他感到多么痛苦。他们一起放声大哭。 身居领导地位的人或公众人物往往很难暴露自己脆弱的一面，但事实是，他们也会感到软弱和气馁。我们通过哭泣和哀嚎来释放情绪是正常的，因为这是我们情绪构成的一部分。事实上，它是上帝为我们人类设计的一个巧妙的安全阀。
撒母耳记上30:6 大卫甚是焦急，因众人为自己的儿女苦恼，说：“要用石头打死他。”大卫却倚靠耶和华他的 神，心里坚固。
当大卫的手下将所发生的事情归咎于他，并想用石头砸他时，大卫在主里坚固了自己。贝丝·琼斯（Beth Jones）在她的著作《天天向上》（Up： Writing A New Chapter of Joy and Laughter）中写道：“事实是，如果我们要快乐和喜乐，我们必须从在主里鼓励自己开始。为了克服忧郁和沮丧的感觉，我们必须接受这样一个事实：我们对自己的幸福负责……幸福取决于我们自己！我们必须负起责任寻求上帝并遵循祂的旨意。”
当我们经历生命的失丧，虽然有人与我们一起度过是好事–因为上帝使用人来鼓励我们，但重要的是我们在上帝面前找到安慰和慰藉，因为上帝希望我们依靠他。
即使我们可能会感到沮丧，但我们不需要一直沮丧下去。通过依靠圣经重新定位我们的生活，我们可以开始向上运动，因为上帝是我们头脑的提升者。祂已经把我们从泥泞中拉拔出来，把我们安置在耶稣基督的磐石上。
讲章系列：向上！细胞小组运动2023（第一部分）
Image Source: pixabay.com